Thursday, May 9, 2013

Simply Living in Community


The YAV program in Tucson calls us to explore intentional community. The idea seemed pretty straight forward to me until all ten of us were in the same room, shortly after meeting one another, trying to define intentional community. We struggled not only to clearly articulate a definition, but to agree.
Even now, I struggle with the definition of intentional community, but I can say that we as a community have learned and continue to learn to be together, to care for one another exactly where we are.

A few months ago we as YAVs were asked to prepare a meal and be present with the U of A Campus Ministries on one of their Tuesday night worship services. As we tried to explain what it means to live a simple lifestyle and why that is important to us, we again struggled to articulate exactly the beauty we see in the way we choose to live simply.

During the conversation, the question, “How simple is simply?” was asked. My immediate response for this student was concrete. For many months we didn't have enough dining room chairs for all of us, much less all of our guests. After a few moments of reflection, I realized lacking dining room chairs hadn't really changed anything about our community--other than bringing us together to find chair substitutes when we had more guests than chairs. It was in response to this question that I recognized the clear connection of living simply and living in intentional community. By having less attachment to consumerism and material goods, by wiping away that worry, we choose to be more focused on one another. We spend more time thinking about how we can live more sustainably with respect for our bodies, the earth and our world neighbors than worrying about if we have matching furniture. We can spend more time supporting and learning from each other in all aspects of life from a marathon to evening conversations, grocery shopping, and movie nights. We are intentional witnesses and active participants in each other’s lives.

My gratitude for this community and the YAV program is overflowing. I could not be where I am today without this group of wonderful people. I am grateful for the love I have felt not only on my good days, but on the days when I struggle to love myself. Living with this community, encouraged by the YAV program, over the last year and the year before in Guatemala has given me a new perspective on how to live radically while honoring my faith, my body, my heart and my mind within the greater context of seeking justice.